In From the Cold
by 1CarinoInu
Summary: He lives alone and in the most remote place possible, hiding from the pain of a past betrayal. She lives a life of privilege in the city, wanting for nothing yet missing something. However, both come together due to a series of events that forever change their lives.
1. Chapter 1

_AN: I will warn you in advance that this story will contain indications of domestic abuse, but the story will not be centered around it._

_Also, I will __**not**__ be portraying the Uchiha males in a positive light in this story, so I warn you now. If you have a hard time with seeing them portrayed as abusers, please hit the back button. I don't want to be inundated with hate mail when it happens. Don't get me wrong, I love a couple of those stoic males as characters, but for this story, I'm making them out to be the bad guys. Sorry._

_Since this is AU, the characters will be OOC. _

_Reviews are appreciated, especially respectful, constructive criticism._

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**In From the Cold – Chapter 1**

He stared down upon the lone figure laying face down in the snowy bank. From first observance, he surmised that this female, at least from what he could tell by the body, had been thrown quite a distance from the vehicle that currently sat wrapped around a hapless fir tree. How this person came to be there off to the side of the rural road was certainly the first question that came to mind.

_Is she alive? _ That was the second question and he had almost panicked at the thought that he had discovered a dead body. _That could be troublesome._

It was hard to say from his current vantage point standing over her prone form. Carefully kneeling down, the stranger gently sifted through the unusual long pink locks (_Ah, a female_) of hair at the back of her head and the camel's hair trench coat to find a pulse point. He reached skin and found it slightly cool to the touch, but he did find a slow pulse.

She was alive although barely. Some strong desire pushed him to see that this stranded female live to see another day. Having lived alone in the mountains since his early 20's, he purposely hid from civilization. However, this urge for human, _female_ contact was all too strong and for many moments he felt disgust at his inability to control his baser instincts. He fought with himself over whether or not to help the woman, eventually caving in to memories of what he was taught in his early childhood to help those in trouble.

Sighing lightly, he scanned the back of her body for obvious injury before slowly rolling her over to check the rest of her. The male was stunned to find that it was quite a young woman who had found herself on what he had declared 'his' mountain. Though he was surprised at finding her alone and half-frozen out in this remote area, he was shocked to stillness at what he saw next.

Her face showed bruising along the right side of her head and another on the left side of her jaw and mouth, most likely as a result of the accident. However, it seemed odd to him that she would have bruising on both sides of her face. It was something that he filed away for later.

He checked the front of her body and found no other injuries or bleeding that he could see without removing her coat and decided it was safe enough to move her for now. Gazing up into the quickly darkening sky he could tell another storm was brewing and fast by the clouds moving quickly across it, so he needed to get her out of the elements quickly. His home was still about an hour away so he had to move quickly to stay ahead of the oncoming harsh weather.

Before picking her up, he took a quick look around the outside and within the small gray sedan to see if there was a second party to deal with and sighed gratefully that there was no one. He did find a small purse in the passenger seat, which he assumed to be hers, and grabbed it hoping there was identification within it.

With the purse in hand, Kakashi Hatake picked the mystery woman up with a gentleness that he didn't know he had and made his way through the massive trees in the direction of his mountain home.

oOo

The trek took a little over an hour by the time he could make out his cabin. The fact that it was almost dark didn't make things easier for him, nor the fact that he was carrying what felt like dead weight. The wind had picked up and the snow was coming down heavily reducing his visibility to the point of almost being blind. The only thing that saved him was the fact he knew this mountain like the back of his hand and if he were blind, he would be able to find his way.

He looked at the burden in his arms noting that she had not moved or made a noise and while he was thankful for the quiet, he was also concerned. _What if she had a concussion? Or worse yet, internal injuries?_ There would be no way to know until she woke up and even then, he wasn't a doctor.

The usually imperturbable male was actually fearful. _If the girl died, then what?_ There was already the chance that the authorities could possibly be looking for her. Someone would most likely notice that she was missing. If that happened and they invaded his home...

He didn't want to think about it. He'd already been through enough with the police and the last thing he needed was to become embroiled in another situation.

As it was, her vehicle was still at the base of the mountain and needed to be dealt with. He wouldn't be able to move it but he could hide it as best he could. Unfortunately, it couldn't be done until the storm blew over. Even then, nature would probably do a better job than he could at hiding the car. He'd just leave it alone and check on it after the weather calmed.

Kakashi could tell he was closer to home based on some of the landmarks he passed. He continued his trek through the heavy snowdrifts and was grateful that he was almost home as it was beginning to get more and more difficult to walk as the snow coming down increased. He could smell the smoke coming from the chimney telling him that the fire was still going and that it would be still warm inside. He was looking forward to getting out of the storm, though he was not happy that his hunting trip had been deterred. Instead of bringing in fresh meat to for his freezer, he'd brought home a stranded woman. _Another mouth to feed._

He sighed as he stepped up on the front porch and kicked off the excess snow from his boots. This woman was interrupting his quiet, orderly life even though she was unconscious. Who knew what else she would accomplish when and if she awakened?

Balancing the awkward weight in his arms, Kakashi opened his front door and entered the home, shutting it securely after he entered. The warmth of the fire assailed him and the extra layers of his clothing that had protected him from the cold weather now felt too hot. But first he had to find a place to lay the girl down determining that his couch would have to do for the time being. He didn't have an extra bed and though he felt badly for her, he wasn't about to give up his own bed. Who knew how she'd react to waking up in some strange bed. Waking up on a stranger's couch would hopefully not seem as intimidating.

He laid his burden down gently on the couch arranging her so that she looked comfortable enough. Kakashi then returned to the entrance of his home where his coat rack stood nearby. He removed his coat, revealing his slender form, followed by his hat, gloves and scarf, hanging them all up on the rack. He wore sturdy faded blue jeans and one of his plaid shirts. Today he wore a black and gray one that had a deep blue that wove in and out of the pattern. Short, messy white hair that seemed to defy gravity stuck up and out as well as hanging over his miss-colored eye, that had a scar that bisected it from his eyebrow down to the apple of his cheek.

Kakashi leaned down to untie his boots before removing them and placing in their spot next to the rack before pulling on his leather moccasins. The well-worn leather lined with sheepskin had been worth the trouble to make the trek to the nearest small town on the other side of the mountain to procure them (as well as a few extra pairs). They wore well and kept his feet warm in the cold winter months.

Next, he stoked up the fire adding a few extra logs in to warm the room up even more. He would need to get the woman's temperature up so that she didn't suffer from hypothermia. Once he completed that task, he proceeded to work on making the female comfortable and to see to her visible injuries.

He slipped off her heavy, sheepskin-lined boots noting she wore no socks on her feet. He took care to check her toes for discoloration and was pleased to find that she had none, but marveled at their petite size and how meticulously manicured they were.

He then proceeded to remove the coat from her shivering body, revealing what little clothing she wore beneath it. He was surprised to find her in nothing but a teal green negligee and tiny panties beneath that, and her body was slender to the point of being petite. While the sight of a female in so little clothing did distract him, it did not distract him from the impact that the bruises on her body did.

Her arms and legs were covered in what looked like bruising from another party and not from the accident based on the fingerprint-like marks. Someone had manhandled this woman and it drew outrage from the usually calm male. _Who could have done such a thing to a woman?_ he wondered with no little anger and disgust. Upon further scrutiny, he could see the telltale signs of faded bruises sprinkling all over her lithe form, some older judging by the yellow coloring of them.

Kakashi continued to quickly, yet thoroughly, check her over looking mainly for any new injuries possibly caused by the accident and only found more purple and blue all over her stomach and back. _Was she being abused? Is that the reason why she left in what must have been a hurry, to escape her abuser?_

It made him sick to his stomach that someone would beat a woman. What little he did remember from his father while he was alive was that you never raised a hand to a female, no matter what the circumstance.

He checked her manicured dainty hands only to discover that it looked as if she had at one time worn a ring, judging by the slight tan line on her left ring finger. If anything, it only raised more questions instead of answering them.

Pulling himself from her pretty little appendages and finding no other visible injuries, hoping that there was nothing he missed, Kakashi proceeded to wrap her in the handmade quilt he kept over the back of the couch, settling her down for the time being.

Remarkably the only bleeding he found was from the wound on her head. It was fortunate that the gash had seemed to clot so he didn't have to worry about her bleeding to death. Internal injuries were an entirely different matter and would deal with them when and if she awakened. However, judging by the bruises on her stomach, it was hard to tell if they were from the car making impact with the tree, or someone's fist so there could be hidden injuries.

It took some time, but he cleaned and dressed the gash on her head. As he methodically worked on her, Kakashi noted that she was wearing quite a bit of makeup and he wondered why that was. _Why would anyone wear makeup when it appears that she was obviously getting ready for bed? _he wondered. He figured that maybe she was in the process of preparing to settle in for the night and had been interrupted. But even that wasn't making sense.

Now that the wound had been taken care of, Kakashi needed to get something warm into her to make sure her core temperature was raised. He made sure his patient was wrapped up warmly and then walked into the kitchen. He was glad his home was an open-floor plan, mainly for ease of heating. More walls made it harder for the heat from the fireplace to all of the rooms. It allowed him to see his living room, kitchen and dining area from the front door. In this case, he was able to see his sleeping 'guest' on the couch without any problem and he was grateful for his foresight.

Kakashi put a kettle of water on the stove to heat a special blend of tea that would help in reducing pain and swelling caused by her injuries. He had learned how to make medicinal teas over the years by reading about them and experimenting here and there. It was fortunate that he hadn't poisoned himself during his early trials.

Pouring the hot water into the cup to allow the tea leaves to steep, Kakashi put the cup on the coffee table near the couch and sat back as he waited for the tea to cool.

It had been fortuitous that he had taken a different route to go hunting today. He was a creature of habit usually going to specific areas on the other side of the mountain where there were fewer signs of humanity in the area and the animals were much more plentiful. Even though it was deep in the winter months, Kakashi had been able to trap a number of hare. Spring and summer was the best time to hunt for larger game and that was when he did most of his snaring for the winter months to freeze, but he'd been craving something fresh, hence his hunting trip.

Then he saw the car. He would have passed it by except that he saw something further into the trees. Really, it was miraculous that anyone could have survived the impact. Yet when he thought further, the windshield hadn't been broken through and the woman was _outside_ of the car. _Had she jumped out of the car prior to impact? Was it even possible?_

He continued to ponder the many mysteries that rolled through his mind about the woman until it looked like the tea was ready. When the liquid was cool enough to the touch, Kakashi moved her so that she was in a half-sitting position and then proceeded to try to get her to take the healing liquid. Her motor functions must not have been affected in the crash because the pressure of the cup to her lips seemed to trigger her subconscious to drink automatically. For that, Kakashi was thankful that some of her motor functions were still working. _I hope that this is a sign that she will be okay._

After she had taken down about half of the tea, Kakashi put the cup down and then laid the woman down to rest, hoping that with a good night's sleep she would be awake and on the road to healing. There wasn't much else he could do at that point but watch and wait.

There were so many questions about the female on his couch and he wanted answers. Then Kakashi recalled that he had grabbed her purse from the car. Not usually one to invade someone's personal space, he felt it necessary to go through her things to identify her at the very least. He grabbed the small brown leather bag and unzipped it.

Peering into the bag he saw a number of items that he could identify, yet some he could not. Instead of sticking his hand into the purse – one never knew what a woman carried in those things - Kakashi dumped the items onto the table. There was a wallet, a hairbrush, and a pack of gum with a few slices taken from it, a compact, which he discovered was a mirror after opening it, and an even smaller bag that he decided to leave alone.

He opened the snap holding the wallet closed and unfolded to reveal a number of colorful cards neatly arranged within along with her identification. He removed the card from behind the clear casing built into the wallet so he could get a better view.

The photo revealed that it was definitely the injured female on his couch and that her name was Sakura Haruno. She was 22 years old, would be 23 in March, based on the birth date on the ID, she had pink hair, green eyes and that she lived in Tokyo. She was also a donor.

_Well then, Sakura. Now I know who you are, the question is why are you out so far from home and what or who hurt you so badly that you felt the need to run away?_


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: A huge thanks to those of you that took the time to review, follow or add to favorites. It does this writer's heart good to see that this story is being well received._

_A big shout out to __ForsakenKalika for her beta services. Without her, this would have been a mess of a chapter. Trust me. She saved you all from certain doom._

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**In From the Cold – Chapter 2**

The following morning dawned early as usual for Kakashi. Normally, he would go about his day as he usually did but thanks to the snowstorm outside and the addition of his recent visitor, today he wouldn't be able to do much of anything. As the winds and the snow continued to pummel his home and the surrounding area, he sighed at just how much work was ahead of him when it finally let up.

Deciding that dwelling on the 'what could be' wasn't constructive, Kakashi rose from his bed to begin his day. He'd showered and dressed before checking on his 'guest' and her condition. Kneeling down next to the couch where she laid, Kakashi ran his hand over her forehead and let loose a sigh of relief. There was no sign of a fever.

_'That's a good sign, Sakura,'_ he thought to himself, yet he addressed her silently. _'Hopefully you'll awaken soon.'_

Her pallor looked good, though he really didn't have prior knowledge of what she looked like at full health to make a valid observation. However, she wasn't ghostly white, so that had to be something. With the exception of the bruising and the gash, he did note that she had lovely, unblemished skin that was a peachy tone.

Her hair looked pink just as it stated on her driver's license and was soft to the touch. However, at second glance, Kakashi would say it was an unusual shade of red depending on the lighting of the room she was in. It was long, resting just below her shoulders at first glance and in loose waves. Kakashi felt the name Sakura suited her well and he had to admit that she was quite beautiful.

He physically shook his head at his thoughts. It made no sense to become attracted to someone who would be on her way once she awoke and the weather cleared up enough for her to make her way off of his mountain.

Kakashi pulled clean gauze and tape from the First Aid kit that he left on the table the night before and changed the dressing on her forehead observing that she had quite a wide forehead. He chuckled as he imagined that it must have caused her no amount of grief growing up… he let out a heavy sigh and shook his head.

He was doing it again. He refused to be caught up in another woman's charms. It had cost him not only the love of his life, but the life of his best friend. But for some reason this woman drew him in.

Deciding he needed to put some space between himself and the blossom on his couch, Kakashi made his way to the kitchen to make himself breakfast. He had found no visible change in her health and had changed her bandages so there was no reason to dawdle.

After eating breakfast and cleaning up after himself, he determined it was time to make some more of the healing tea and maybe even a broth to make sure her body got some nourishment. However, he found himself drawn to the living room once again.

Kakashi looked upon the figure lying quietly on the couch and realized that he hadn't done anything but stare at her while his mind wandered on the mystery that was Sakura. Kakashi shook his head, disgusted with himself and went into the kitchen to begin heating water for her tea and begin gathering the items needed for the broth.

oOo

"_Welcome to Uchiha Import/Export," a curly, brown-haired male said as he extended a hand to shake hers._

"_I've got the job?" spoke a slightly incredulous voice. _

"_You sure do, Ms. Haruno," replied the smiling male who she would later find out was Shisui Uchiha, the elder cousin of the President, Itachi Uchiha._

_She was stunned. She had been lucky enough to secure the interview at the last minute and had almost been late, even._

_Sakura gripped the male's hand and shook it with much enthusiasm. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" she exclaimed. Shisui grinned at her excitement. _

"_Come then. I'll show you around and introduce you to who you'll be working with and who you'll report to."_

"_This is Sasuke Uchiha, the Vice President of our little operation, here. Sasuke, this is Sakura Haruno, your new Marketing Communications Manager."_

_Sakura had been stunned by the charming beauty of Shisui, but this Uchiha was absolutely beautiful! There was no doubt that they were related with their similar coloring and looks that definitely ran through their bloodline._

"…_Sakura, my love? Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" the raven-haired male with coal-black eyes asked from his position on his knees before her. He held a black velvet box in his hand with a diamond ring that spoke money._

_She felt exhilarated, happy beyond belief. Surprised? Yes. They had been dating only six months, but apparently, he felt that she was the one for him. Who was she to say no to him? He was rich and powerful and she loved him, didn't she?_

"_YES!" she all but yelled, drawing attention from the onlookers at the restaurant they were dining at. She didn't care. She was the happiest woman in the world. Wasn't she?_

_The whispered voices of her fiancé and his brother, the President, carried through the open door of his office. She had never eavesdropped on their conversations before, yet this was also the first time they had left the door open._

"_I have a client who is interested in her," spoke the elder._

"_Why would you even add her in the catalog, Itachi?" There was irritation in Sasuke's voice. "How could you do this?"_

"_It is business, dear brother. Do not let yourself get attached."_

"_Sasuke? Why are you so angry?" Sakura had been worried. His demeanor had changed drastically over the few weeks since she had overheard he and Itachi speaking. _

_A sigh left the dark-haired male, a sign that he had much on his mind. "It's just business, Sakura. Do not worry."_

_She leaned over him from behind and hugged him as her fiancé sat in the dining chair reading his newspaper. Well, reading or just glaring at it._

"_I just worry about you, that's all."_

"_Where have you been, Sasuke?" Sakura demanded. This was the tenth consecutive night that he came home after 2 in the morning and drunk. There was also the unmistakable scent of another's perfume on him._

"_Out," was his stoic reply. The only sign of drunkenness was the slight sway in his step._

"_Dammit, Sasuke! Where have you been?" Sakura yelled. "We're supposed to be getting married in a few months and you're staying out to all hours, drinking and smelling like some cheap whore!"_

_She didn't see it coming. The next thing she realized was that she was on the ground and her face was stinging._

"_Shut up bitch and mind your own business," came the seething reply._

oOo

"No!" came the shrieking scream from his usually silent guest.

She had awakened.


End file.
